Reviews. 189


respect: he then gives a detailed illustrated account of many of

the more important discoveries already made by members of

this Society.


Technical workers in Natural History are too apt to hug

themselves, under the impression that their's is the only scientific

branch of the science: whereas, could they but appreciate the

truth, they are the men who make the bricks and suggest the

designs for the buildings, in which we study Nature ; we do not

pretend that we can do without them, but they certainly cannot

afford to do without us.


In my old days of museum life I once grievously offended

a colleague, by telling him that it required as much science to-

describe a lady's bonnet as a new species : that I, who had per-

haps described some five or six thousand new species at that

time, should make such an assertion, he considered rank blas-

phemy; I never could understand wherein I blasphemed, but

then I always preferred a living dog to a dead lion, and eagerly

sought for information respecting the living economy of the

creatures whose dead bodies I arranged and named. Ornithology,

or any other branch of Natural History, includes the living as-

well as the dead ; and the study of the latter only, must necess-

arily be a superficial treatment of Nature. A. G. BuTLER.



"BIRDS OF THE COUNTRY SIDE."*


In this small, but compact volume Mr. Finn has provided

his readers with an astonishing amount of reliable information

on British birds, especially those " most conspicuous in life or

literature."


The species are arranged " according to the circumstances

under which they are likely to be first met with," thus : Part I.

comprises birds " In Towns and Gardens," Part II. " By Way-

side and Woodland," comprising, of course, the majority of the

species dealt with. Part III. " By the Waterside," Part IV. " By

Mountain, Moor, or Marsh," and Part V. <c By Sea or Shore."


This is an excellent arrangement in a popular work of this

kind, for the novice who wishes to identify the birds he meets


"Birds of (he Country Side, by Frank Finn, P.. A. (Oxoh.), F.Z.S. London, HutcHhiSQii_

& Co., Paternoster Row. Price 5/- net.



